Court dismisses traffic rule flouting case against Maha CM

Mumbai: A Pune court today dismissed a case pertaining to violation of the Motor Vehicles Act filed against chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for allegedly riding a two-wheeler without wearing a helmet during the campaigning for Assembly elections in Nagpur last year.

Judicial Magistrate S M Ohale held that his court in Pune had no jurisdiction to hear the complaint as the offence alleged in the complaint had occurred in Nagpur.

The complaint against Fadnavis was filed by one Hemant Patil, president of a local outfit ‘Desh Bachao Party’, at the court of Judicial Magistrate at Shivaji Nagar, Pune, under sections 129 and 177 of Motor Vehicles Act.

Section 129 of the Act says that wearing a helmet is compulsory for a person driving a two-wheeler, while section 177 prescribes Rs 100 fine for violation.

The petitioner had also submitted a photograph purportedly showing Fadnavis driving the two-wheeler without wearing a helmet during the campaign in Nagpur.